Stalemate
by DarlingRed
Summary: The final battle in Civil War ends differently, Steve and Tony making a different decision. While fixing the damage he inflicted on his enemies metal arm, Tony works through his own issues as well. H/C, Stucky and feels abound. My Civil War fix it
1. Chapter 1

The shield never came down; poised dangerously over Stark's reactor, the ability to deliver a lethal blow was without a doubt. But it stopped. Rogers tossed the disc to the side, the loud clang echoing in the freezing chamber. It was silent save for their rough panting of breaths and the whining that came from the form in the corner, curled on his side trying to cradle the gaping loss at his side.

"I'm not going to finish this Tony,' Steve panted, his chest heaving, still straddling the iron man suit. "You're my friend. And I'm begging you, don't hurt him. He's all I got left."

It wasn't his words that made Tony pause, that made the rage inside him quiet, but the look of absolute exhaustion and desperation that was written over Steve's face. He was begging him. Even from his spot on the ground, he could peer over Roger's form and see the writhing man that sounded like he was trying hard not to cry out-his legs kicking uselessly as he tried to regain his footing and stand unsuccessfully. He did that. Tony let his head fall back, the backing of the suit making it impossible for it to hit the frozen concrete beneath him. Steve let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding and with a pained grunt, pushed himself up and off Tony.

He offered the Iron Man his hand; Tony stared at it, blood still pooling in his mouth where a well aimed hit from Cap's war buddy had caught him. He spit the red stuff out, feeling his tooth a bit loose but took the offered hand, the suit whirring and sputtering in disrepair.

Steve didn't stay long enough to get him steady but immediately went to the Winter Soldier's side, placing a hand on his side carefully.

Tony tried not to see the way the man flinched away from the gentle touch, or how he has grasping what was left of his right arm almost frantically with his flesh one.

"Breath, Buck its ok,' he heard Steve murmur, softer and gentler than he had ever heard him speak before. "I'm going to get you out of here ok?" There was a shake of the fallen mans head, "Just let 'em finish me Stevie. I deserve it."

Tony's blood ran cold at the admission. The surveillance tapes replaying in his minds eye as he did so. He made a choice. Stark grit his teeth and walked over to the pair, Steve still trying to touch him without the man inching away.

The sound of his footsteps made them both quiet, and Steve looked up, taking off his helmet and setting it aside as he did so. He carefully put himself between Bucky and Tony, his hands out to side.

"I don't want to fight Tony,' He whispered, his lip split and grim smeared across his face, made him look younger than he was. "Please. Just let me get him out of here."

Barnes was murmuring now, almost sounding delusional at this point.

Tony kept his eyes on Barnes as he replied, "No Rogers."

He not only saw but felt the man deflate and ball his hands into fists, in preparation for what was to come. But before he even had a chance to stand, Stark held up his gauntlet.

"You won't get far with him like; I have my jet," Rogers stayed there in stunned silence, his fists unclenching slowly. "You'll have to help me get him there, my suits damaged and I don't think he's going to let me fly him out of here regardless."

"Tony,' Started Steve, relief flooding his face.

"Don't,' Ground out Tony, "Just help me get him to the jet."

Captain America nodded, snapping his helmet around a clip on his belt, leaving his head vulnerable. The act was not lost upon Tony.

The blond knelt down by Bucky's head, pushing the hair out of his face that was currently stuck to the blood on his mouth and nose as he huffed to breath.

"Report sergeant," he heard Steve whisper, not missing the affection that went into the word.

The fallen man spurted what sounded like it could have been a laugh before it became a cry as he curled in on himself, "Ribs, broken nose, some internal injuries. Fuck my leg…" he started to trail off, before letting his head down on the ground, "My arm Steve, its gone-"

Steve immediately grabbed the mans chin as gently as possible, "Its ok, we're going to get you patched up alright? Just hold on to me."

Bucky nodded, his eyes darting to Tony frighteningly. He was pale, the blood smeared around his nose and mouth made him look rabid, but his eyes were wide and full of pain. He looked like a cornered animal and Tony wasn't so sure that was the most accurate description of the man before him.

"Look at me Buck, ok? Deep breath, your going up ok?"

Steve carefully grabbed his in tact arm and got him standing with only a few swear words and stumbling involved. Bucky swayed and Tony went to steady him, but it made the other man pull back immediately, pressing himself into Steve and away from Stark.

"Don't touch me," he panted through ground teeth and a locked jaw, his flesh arm closing and opening as if preparing itself for an attack. Tony wasn't stupid; he'd seen the reports on the Winter Soldier- the lose of the metal appendage did nothing to make the man any less deadly. If anything, it made him even more so. He was cornered and in pain and Tony the one who caused it.

"Got it, no touching, ok?" Tony agreed, putting his hands up, powering down the one still glowing gauntlet, the other one still sparking from the Soldier's attack.

As they trudged, Steve holding his friend as careful as possible, trying to keep the jarring off his side where what was left of the metal arm still sputtered and made a deep mechanical sound that almost sounded painful, like a car about to die.

"He was brainwashed Tony,' Steve whispered, even though they both knew Bucky could hear them as the plane was in reach, "He didn't know."

Tony stopped, allowing the jet to open, reveling in the warm air that drafted from its interior. He didn't say anything back, just gestured to the jet.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y. emergency medical please,' he snapped, allowing the suit to unscrew itself piece by broken piece, storing itself in compartments underneath him.

A bed emerged from the side wall, causing Steve to step back as it righted itself with an hydraulic hiss. Tony waved his hand at the bed, motioning from the super soldier to set the wounded man on it.

He heard Steve whisper comfortingly as he lowered the other man onto the bed; Barnes was rigid, his face screwed into a scowl and he looked ready to claw at anyone who got near him.

Tony took the emergency kit and tossed it at Steve, who caught it quickly with a nod of thanks.

"So Winter douche bag, hows that arm connected?" Tony asked, breaking the silence as Steve opened the kit and rummaged through its contents.

They both looked at him, Steve looking peeved and Bucky just looked at him as if he was crazy, which wasn't too far from the truth.

"It isn't right now,' Bucky ground out, not even flinching as Steve ran a whip over the laceration on his brow, "Thats kind of the problem."

Tony huffed a laugh, grabbing a water bottle and taking a swig. He saw how the Soldier's eyes tracked him as he did so, jumping from the bottle to his face.

Tony rolled his eyes, "Water?" He offered, grabbing another bottle, but instead of answering, the other man shot a look to Rogers who took the offered bottle and helped him sit up to drink it, ignoring the way it ran down his chin and soaked his hair.

"Could've just asked,' Snarked Stark, finishing off his own. Steve looked up sharply, "Yea he's not too great about asking for things anymore."

Bucky's eyes fell to the ground when Steve said that.

"Brainwashing," Tony said, trying not to sound sharp. "Right."

It was silent for a bit as the heat soothed the cold aches of the arctic air outside, Steve bustling over the other man and sporting his puppy dog eyes as he opened the Soldier's vest to view the myriad of bruising left by the many falls and slams against metal walls.

The silence stretched on for another 10 minutes or so, the ripping of the soldier's kevlar as Steve tended to the various wounds was the only sound in the suddenly very cramped jet.

"I don't know,' whispered Barnes quietly, staring at the ceiling and not even flinching as Steve tied off another stitch along his hip bone. Both of the other man stopped, looking at Bucky to finish his sentence.

"I don't know how its attached,' he expanded, talking his staring battle with the ceiling to the mess of mechanics attached at his shoulder, "I don't remember. I remember them taking off what was left of my arm. I remember something to do with my spine."

"Its attached to your spine? How do you know that?" Asked Tony, trying not to look just a bit intrigued and mortified at the mans admission. But the scientist in him wanted answers.

Barnes went back to look at the ceiling, twitching as Steve pressed on a partially sore spot around his rib cage.

"Because I was awake."

Tony saw Steve close his eyes, Tony didn't want to see Captain fucking America cry.

"Theres no way a person could survive that," Tony bit back, his mind going through the muscle groups, nerve endings, arteries…

"Yea, normal human wouldn't have," The Soldier let his eyes draw to Tony, "I'm just packed enough with the serum that I survived. Lucky me."

It wasn't until a sharp spark emitted from the arm that the silence was breached, Bucky arched off the metal table with a cry as Steve desperately attempted to steel the writhing man.

"Tony!" Steve cried, wincing as another spark caught his cheek.

Jumping from his seat, Tony pushed at Steve to move over, trying to look as calm as possible as Barnes regarded him with distrustful eyes and immediately shied away from the billionaire.

"Don't move you idiot!" Snapped Tony, the whining of the metal on the table more prominent as the wounded man pressed his back against the wall. Bucky froze, his eyes wide and his chest heaving to keep himself from hyperventilating.

"Whats going on, whats he doing?" Tony stepped back, afraid of what the metal armed fugitive would do at this point. Steve sighed, dragging a hand over his face tiredly, streaking grim and blood as he did so.

"He's obeying,' Rogers whispered, lowering himself to level with the bed, trying to get to get Barnes to set his eyes anywhere but on Tony Stark. "Buck, c'mon Buck its Steve. Its 2016, you're on Stark's jet remember?"

Bucky didn't look away, his jaw opening and closing minutely as if he was trying to decide if he should speak or not.

"Is he my new technician?' His voice was soft, vulnerable, like he wasn't sure if should have asked in the first place. "My arm…somethings wrong?"

Steve's eyes closed as he nodded, "Yea Buck, we're going to get you fixed. Tony is a…friend. Not a tech." Tony noticed the pause between friend. Noticed how his eyes darted to the other man as if confirming his statement. Bucky still had a glazed look in his eye; he wasn't full here.

Tony cleared his throat, "Soldier, are you experiencing any sensation?"

Steve looked like he was about to say something but stopped when Tony shot him a look that gave no room to argue. PTSD. He'd seen this before. He'd been to enough therapists to know the signs. But he had to get the information before he went back to Steve's asshole war buddy if was to help them.

Bucky licked his blood dried lips before replying, "I feel everything," he whispered, sweat beading on his brow. And as quick as he went down, he blinked, looking around with a gasp.

"Steve?" He looked around frantically, "Did I hurt anyone?"

It was with that remark that Steve turned to Tony, steeling his jaw as if his point had been proven. Sighing deeply, Tony grabbed the kit from the bedside table and grabbed the pain reliever and dry swallowed a couple gel caps. His head was pounding. Being around Steven Grant Rogers did that to a person.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y. set a course for the tower," He snapped, tossing the pain reliever to the side and slamming himself down on the seat and strapping.

"Tony?"

Stark rolled his eyes, "I don't have the tools for this shit in my jet. We need to get him to my lab. So strap in and shut the fuck up."

It may have been a trick of the light, but Tony swore he saw the weight on Steve's shoulders lighten just a little.

Bucky had gone from silently enduring the lose of his arm to twitching every few minutes, apologizing every time he did so. Looking scared if he let out anything other than a breath of air.

Steve stayed by his side; his massive body crammed into the corner by the bed, no quite touching the soldier but only by an inch or two. Every time the plane hit turbulence the soldier closed his eyes and clenched his teeth, his fingers pulling at his kevlar as if to distract them from grabbing onto something else. Tony wasn't an idiot; he's seen that look. Steve didn't get close enough but his protective stance and gentle encouragements wasn't something he learned from the battlefield. He looked at Pepper like that, at the beginning. When extermis was unmaking her; when there was nothing he could do for her but stay just far enough away not to get caught by her powers. Bucky was laying flat on his back, but his head was turned towards Steve's hand, seeking out the touch but not allowing himself the comfort of it.

Old war pal his ass, Tony thought.

F.R.I.D.A.Y. alerted them to their proximity to the tower, and the anxiety rose in the cabin and for good reason. Tony could be leading them right into a government trap, he could kill Barnes at his own home, on his own turf with multiple suits. He could lock Barnes away and throw away the key. Stark knew they were thinking this because he had already gone over all those scenarios in head, gleefully at some points, but his stomach kept turning at the memory of Barnes haunted face when he snapped back to on the jet. Asked if he had hurt anyone. It wouldn't be right.

"Calm down Cap. Its just us, no ones going to touch your super solider bff."  
Regardless of what Tony said, Steve looked around the landing pad before relaxing, though very minutely. The lines of his shoulders dropped a bit and he turned to the prone assassin behind him; Bucky had pushed himself up a bit, sweating and shaking as he looked at Steve with wide eyes. Like he was asking him if it was safe. Tony walked into the tower, not bothering to look behind him. He needed to breath, he needed to think, he needed his lab. So thats where he went. Steve knew where it was.

Steve tried not to think about how pale Bucky was, or how he leaned on him so heavily as they stumbled through the bay into one of the many open rooms of the Avengers tower. Starks tower. Bucky was stifling his pained gasps as best he could, but holding his breath was just putting pressure on his broken ribs.

"Ya gotta breath Buck, c'mon," He whispered, sending a silent thanks to the AI that opened the elevators to them without question.

"I don't wanna go back Steve,' Buck panted in reply instead, taking his weight off of the other man and laid his head against the cool, metal wall behind him, the elevator taking them down to the lab without question.

"Hey,' Snapped Steve, surprising even himself with the sharpness of his tone, "You're not going anywhere. I promise you Buck."

Bucky grinned, his split lip nearly healed already, his skin still tinged pink where Roger's had carefully cleaned the blood away from his mouth, "You can't save everyone Stevie."

Steve knew Bucky was adverse to touch, it didn't take a rocket scientist to see how he flinched away or the way he steeled his jaw at perceived danger. So he was slow, his still gloved hand gently touched the bottom of the ex-Hydra assassins chin, making sure his eyes turned to him.

"But I will try goddammit," it was as loud and as resonating as a breath, "and this time, I'm not leaving you behind." The door opened in front of them and neither men moved, Bucky's eyes still boring into Steve's like he was trying so desperately hard to believe him. Steve wished he could kill every last person that made Bucky tremble underneath the softest touch the super soldier could muster, or doubt the words he was speaking right now.

"Are you two just going to stare at each longingly at night or are we doing this?"  
Steve jerked away as if he had been burnt, Tony stood in front of the open elevator doors with a mug of coffee and a butterfly bandage over the wound on his temple. Steve tried to block out the wave of guilt that flooded him, seeing the bruises he left. Bucky leaned on him again, pulling himself away from the wall, giving him enough of a boost to move into the large space that Tony called a lab; it was a graveyard of nearly completely projects, scrap metal and empty coffee cups that look like they could be growing the next super virus inside them. But, Tony looked relaxed here. Maybe not with them here, but the place itself resonated Tony. The projects, scraps of blueprints and even newspaper clippings of some to their battles just showed the inner workings of the billionaires mind. Scatterbrained, brilliant and the deep burning desire to keep the Avengers together. Rogers had been so preoccupied he didn't notice the tremors that shook Bucky as they drew closure to the medical bed that Steve knew had been used numerous times to as a quasi operating table or where Tony would pass out drunk.

He felt Bucky stiffen next to him when he saw the table; he was still trembling, the smell of the burning ozone was coming from his arm and making Steve nervous.

"C'mon Buck, I'm right here," he whispered, his eyes not leaving Tony as he carefully brought the injured man and helped him onto the cushioned work table. He was placing a huge amount of trust in Tony; he knew what he could do, now that they were on his turf. What he could do to Bucky- one call and the entire U.S. and U.N. governments would be knocking down the door and putting them both in chains. Steve Rogers tried to keep himself calm as he noticed how Bucky wouldn't lie back, his spine ram rod straight despite the way his frame shook, raging against the fatigue of battle.

"Are you going to lay back or is this going to be a thing, because I have zero patience right now," Snapped Tony, the steaming cup of coffee in his hand and red face showing that he wiped off the grime of the fight. Bucky's spine stiffened at the tone and swung his feet over to lay back, his eyes fixed to the ceiling as he licked his lips and let his jaw go lapse.

Steve felt the air leave his lungs and for once, Tony was silent.  
"Can someone tell me what the fuck just happened," whispered Tony, his eyes not leaving the super solider prone in his lab. Steve just sighed, carefully making his way to the table, tapping it to let Barnes know he wasn't going to touch him, but was there.  
"Happened to me on the jet; he disassociates sometimes," Steve sighed, his shoulders drooping in defeat, "Just part of his conditioning."

Tony looked as if, for once, he was speechless. But he cleared his throat and went to sit down next to the man, scrapping the chair along the floor in his own way of announcing his presence.

"Steve?"  
Rogers let out a sigh of relief and carefully touched Bucky's flesh and bone hand, "Yea Buck its ok. We're in Starks lab remember? Going to fix you up, ok?"  
"Stark's lab," Bucky mouthed the words like he was tasting them, trying to remember if they were good or not. He suddenly looked up at Steve like he suddenly remembered something, "My arm doesn't feel like its functioning."

"Stark?"  
"Ok terminator, I'm going to attach a few electric nodes to -whats left- of your arm ok? I need to figure out how this things attached,' Tony replied around a screw driver in his mouth, his brow furrowed in a way Steve had seen so many times when he was working on something complicated. Bucky nodded, paused and then looked at Steve.

"Can I have your belt?"  
Steve was confused for a moment, standing there just as bewildered as Stark was, who was looking expectantly at Steve.

"Buck-' he whispered, his stomach dropping, "If it hurts you get to say stop."  
The other man steeled his jaw, looking at the blond defiantly, "Belt."  
Steve knew that look and that tone; he wasn't going to take no for an answer. They didn't take their eyes off each other as Steve undid his belt and whipped it sharply out of the belt loops, folding it over itself. He held it out to Bucky, who simply licked his lips and opened his mouth making no move towards it. There was silence two beats before Steve stepped forward and gently pushed the belt in between Bucky's teeth; the later biting down and nodding his head in thanks.

"Geez you guys have a safe word yet?" Muttered Tony, setting down the screw driver and picking up the a few multi colored wires attached to small silver clamps. "F.R.I.D.A.Y, I want a full scan of the arm."

" _Right away sir,"_ Came the disembodied voice of the A.I.  
It still bothered Steve not to hear JARVIS replying back; he was finally getting used to the damn thing and now he had to start all over again.  
Bucky's eyes widened and he chest heaved as each connector was attached.

" _Sergeant Barnes's pulse is exceeding safe thresholds,"_ Came the disembodied voice overhead, though the clench in Bucky's jaw and the white knuckles at his side was tell enough without the AI.

Tony didn't want to see the man reduced to a quivering mess in his lab, or see up close the damage he inflicted in his rage. The blast had torn threw the metal arm into what was left of the flesh one; the butchers in Hydra had mangled him. Not unlike the mass of scar tissue adorning his own body after his own capture. Barnes's jaw was clamped down so hard on the leather belt he was sure he would rip right through it if Tony wasn't careful.

"Can he take anything?" Tony asked, not bothering to look up; he wasn't sure if he could meet Rogers eyes anyway. The hurt still fresh and it would be too easy to hurt the other man at this moment. He didn't look up but he saw the droop of the shoulders and slow shake of his head to response, "He'll burn right through it. He has a variation of the serum; same as me."  
Stark sighed. This was going to be a hell of a night.


	2. Chapter 2

Tony expected some of this; the smell of the ozone as the electrodes touched the exposed wires of the mechanical arm; the twitching as the man's body jerked through the electric currents that were pulsing through him. He didn't expect the belt between his teeth, he didn't expect his eyes screwed so tightly shut or the moisture that leaked between them caught on the lashes.

He didn't expect Roger's face. Or the way his hand was hovering over Barnes', but not quite touching because who knows how the other man would react to the gentle touch at this time.

But Tony regained his composure and looked at the map outs of the (ex?) assassins skeletal system that was currently being shown to him by FRIDAY. He chewed on the screwdriver still pinched precariously in between his teeth, clucking his tongue at the read outs. Barnes was right; it was attached to his spine. It was a butcher's job; electrodes connecting to his skeletal frame and nerve endings, giving the arm its full functionality. There was a reason that there wasn't any prosthetics like this; it was torture for the wearer and anyone without Barnes' serum wouldn't died soon after.

The weight alone that was being put on the body was enough. And judging from the micro fractures and tears along the spine, vertebrae and shoulder joints, it seems Bucky was victim to these as well but his healing factor took just enough of the hit to make him dangerous with the heavy contraption.

He could fix it. Tony was already calculating the mass body weight, the lighter metal alloy that he could use and a better way to connect the joint.

The question is. Did he want to?

With a quick touch to a small exposed wire, the man on Tony's table flinched hard, a groan forcing itself from his throat even between the belt imbedded in his teeth.

Stark stood up quickly, slamming the screwdriver on the table next to him, ignoring the way Bucky curled up and Steve immediately shifted from anxious to dangerous in a single stance. Tony chuckled, fiddling with the data sheets hovering in the air, clicking his tongue.

"Well robocop good thing for you I can fix this,' he paused, closing his eyes before turning back to the pair. "I don't want to. I fucking hate you Barnes. Or Winter Soldier, or whatever the fuck they call you now."

Bucky didn't look convinced as he spit out the belt and sat up as well as he could with the one good arm, Steve once again hovering as the man teetered.

"Then,' Barnes whispered softly, his voice hoarse and deep from the screams. The screaming that Tony caused. 'Why are you helping me? You can call the embassy, SHIELD, pretty much anyone right now and have me locked away. And I'd deserve it. So why?"

Stark hadn't taken his eyes off the man, he knew he was clenching his jaw tighter than he should and felt the incoming migraine that would follow it.

"Because I'm better than Hydra."

And with that, Stark grabbed his coffee, a StarkTab and a protein bar and left.

" _Captain Rogers, Mr. Stark has asked me to show you to some rooms where you can clean up and rest."_

Steve was still standing next to Barnes when the door closed behind Tony, the man was already muttering about muscle mass and spinal weight thresholds. He was limping and there was blood matted in his hair when he left. Steve didn't miss that.

So he tried not to jump when the A.I. Made her sudden vocal appearance.

"Thanks FRIDAY," Rogers whispered, turning his attention on Barnes, who still hadn't moved, but his good arm trembled as it supported his full weight. He was exhausted, and his nose still bled and the way he kept shaking his head he was having trouble keeping it together. From disassociating.

"Bucky?" He tried, careful not to move forward or to touch the other man. "Bucky, you with me?"

Still nothing.

Rogers moved around the table, hitting right into the ex hydra assassins line of sight. Which is the safest place for both of them if he was being honest with himself; one arm down or no, the man was dangerous. Not just to Steve but to himself as well.

Barnes was staring straight ahead, hair falling in his face and across his lips and he had made no move or acknowledgment of it or the fact there was a trail of blood moving slowly from his right nostril to his mouth.

"Bucky? Can you answer me Buck?"

Carefully, slowly, Steve knelt besides the man, still in his line of sight, whether or not if the man was focusing on him or not. Rogers knew he was holding his breath as he inched a hand close to Barnes' face; nothing happened, no flicker of acknowledgment, be it positive or negative.

Without touching his skin, he gently pushed the tendril of hair away from his lips, letting it fall after pulling it free from the dried blood that had kept it locked there.

Bucky's eyes found his, blinking a couple of times before taking a stuttering breath that made Steve's heart skip a beat.

"Stevie?"

Steve released the breath he had been holding, nodding slowly. "Yea Buck its me. Can we get you cleaned up?"

Bucky looked down at his arm and back at the super soldier, "Can you help me up?"

He must be crazy, Tony thought to himself as he juggled his things down the hallway. He finally snapped, he worked too much, didn't sleep enough or whatever the mountain of things Pepper used to berate him for.

Tony Stark slammed the door of his bedroom, the black coffee was drained and he instantly wished for a bourbon in its wake. Collapsing on the bed behind him, he ran his hand through his battle laden hair, the grim and blood still tangled in his locks. But he couldn't stop; no. He had to know. He had to see it for himself.

"FRIDAY,' he said, summoning the AI at just above a whisper. Because the anger in him didn't want a reasonable conclusion. It wanted revenge on whoever was closer. It didn't want to see if what Steve had said was true. But the side of Tony that he fucking hated sometimes, had to know. "Show me the video files from the SHIELD leak, anything concerning Barnes, codename The Winter Soldier."

He closed his eyes as the AI projected a small screen in front him, whizzing through thousands of files in a second, filing them all in order of importance.

"Which file would you like to view ?" FRIDAY asked, her voice grounding him as he saw the thumbnails before him.

Stark found his voice, almost feeling like a peeping Tom, or at the very least, invading.

"Show me videos regarding the Winter Soldier's, brainwashing or whatever kids call it these days." Even to his own ears his attempt on humor fell flat and he wished sorely for that alcohol now.

FRIDAY didn't give him time to drift off to think of that though, and he was glad. Because anything he would have drank would have made a second appearance after the first video.

It was him, shorter hair but definitely the man with the metal arm he saw ruthlessly murder his parents. The film was grainy and old, a given for the time it was taken. But Tony was glad it wasn't any clearer because there he was strapped to a table, reciting his tag numbers over and over like they were taught to do when captured by enemy forces.

His arm was gone, shredded. There was blood dampening the table and the man was near seizing as his body laid there in shock.

Stark watched them put the arm on, for medical purposes he felt he needed to but he knew he'd never be able to get the image out of his head. Barnes had been awake the entire time. Begging for death and only passing out a few blessed times.

As the minutes past and video and file notations came and went, Stark felt himself losing his anger. Every mission, every time before cryo the man seemed to shake himself awake anytime after 48 hours of being defrosted. Once he screamed when he saw his arm. At one point he asked for Stevie before being shoved into the tank and put away like a broken tool.

"Stop the footage FRIDAY. And tell me where Pepper hid the liquor."

Steve's heart felt as if it had stopped in his chest. He was exhausted; in every way a man can be exhausted. The man before him looked at him uneasily but he had a creeping suspicion that his own exhaustion had won the battle between the two warring sides. The Winter Soldier, conditioned to obey and expect pain for asking, and Bucky Barnes- the kind hearted Brooklyn boy who craved affection and Steve's company. Roger's shook his head quickly, he had to emotionally detach from this.

This is about helping his friend. Not him. Never him. So he felt himself nod and carefully take a few steps toward the injured soldier.

"I'm just putting my arm around your waist ok?' He whispered, almost wincing at how loud it sounded in the still, silent metal room. "Tell me if anything hurts, and we'll slow down."

Bucky scoffed, nearly startling Steve back across the room from where he came.

"Stevie, everything hurts. Let's just focus on getting me off this table and across the hall before Stark changes his mind, ok?" Barnes had that boyish grin stretched across his face but it didn't reach his eyes. No, those were too bright and tired looking for that smile to touch them. They'd seen too much it seemed. Steve wondered if he'd ever get that back. After all of this time.

So he carefully put his arm around the other man, careful of the still twitching prosthetic that jerked impulsively. Rogers realized he was holding his breath as he put pressure on Bucky's back, supporting him against the gradual movement to his feet.

The soldier's breath was labored as they walked down the hall, directed by the occasional and gentle prodding of the AI.

FRIDAY took them to a large, open room. Two beds, a large bathroom that connected it and a big screen tv that took up nearly the whole wall in front of it.

Sitting Bucky on the bed, the other man seem to allow the soft surface to envelope him; it was if every bone in his body had turned to mush and mouth opened in a slightly erotic way as a sigh escaped his body. Steve tried not to stare as the smaller man chuckled. He hadn't seen him that relaxed since before the war; the carefree chuckle made his stomach feel in a way he had felt since-

"I think this is the softest thing I've ever been on."

Shaking his head with a smile, Steve sat down the bed next to him, the bed dipping under his weight. "Stark definitely spares no expense. Especially for comfort."

So they stayed like that, just for a moment, but for Steve it was like balm for his soul. Like a part of him came home.

But when the soft lines of Bucky's face started to harden, Steve knew the time had passed for that.

"Buck?"

The soldier's teeth began to clench and his good hand turned into a fist when he reached for his injured side, "I can feel it. I've never been awake this long Steve, I feel like it pulling out my spine."

"That's because it is," Came a familiar voice at the doorway, causing Bucky to jerk up and slide his body in a nearly catlike manner up against the adjoining wall with a slam, his eyes wide and breath coming out in fast gasps.

"Stark a little warning next time," huffed Steve, who on his own accord had stood between the two before he realized he was even doing so.

Tony shrugged carelessly, but Steve saw how he eyed the injured soldier against the wall. Almost regrettably.

"Anyway, regards to the excruciating pain and pulling sensation robo cop? Yea, that is the feeling of your spine being pulled from the weight, even let says half the weight of that nifty contraption welded to it." Tony waved the StarkPad in the air, projecting a large image of a skeletal system. Steve can only assume it was Bucky's judging from the lack of an arm and the dark lines that littered his spine.

He tried not to notice the dark lines that were scattered over his bones signifying old breaks and fractures. Breaks and fractures not given the time to properly heal.

"So what you're seeing here,' Tony said, pointing to the dark mass that enveloped his shoulder and spinal column, "Is the wires, metal and conductors used to make the arm work. It's literally hardwired to his nervous system, and here,' he paused, circling with his finger over the shoulder joint, "is where it looks like it can be detached from a ball and socket joint, not unlike an actual shoulder joint."

"So what does that mean?" Bucky asked, stealing the words out of Steve's mouth.

Waving his hand through the air, the projection fizzled away to dead space, leave the wall behind it bare once again.

"It means I can fix you. Make you better, faster, stronger," Tony seemed to grin a bit at his own joke, "Ok you don't get that joke but trust me it's hysterical."

Bucky remained unmoved, still looking at the wall where the image of his x-ray once stood.

"But,' finally tearing his eyes away from the spot on the wall, "Why would you do that?"

Steve didn't know why Stark paused, almost looking shameful when he finally could look Bucky in the eye.

"Because I saw,' he finally replied, his voice breaking a bit, "I saw what they did to you. And god dammit I can't be mad at you anymore. I tried and I fucking cant."

"You found his file?" Steve asked, scared to know the answer and how long it took him to get the information. And to escape the nightmares after seeing its contents.

"I found all of it Rogers," Grimaced Stark, running a hand down his face, his five o'clock shadow dark against his normally startling clean cut appearance. "And I've had people poke around and mess me up. Put tech in me I didn't want. I fixed me. And I can try to fix you too."

Allowing himself the privilege of standing down for a moment, Steve risked a look at his friend, still sitting on the luxurious bed, arm twitching and lines of pain creasing his face. The man shook his head.

"I think I'm past saving ."

"Buck-"

"Then lets just start with the arm then,' Tony interrupted, clearly finished with the emotional turmoil the evening had presented, "so Steve can stop with the puppy eyes routine."

Surprisingly, Bucky grinned slightly, looked down at the metal arm before replying softly, "When do we start?"


End file.
